There are a few ways to acknowledge the present and past Indigenous land title and territories. I've used several in the past but to prepare for this blog post I spent some time understanding some of the underlying meanings behind every word. Through that research I've changed how I will acknowledge land moving forward and offer them to the world wide web. Before you skip ahead, hear me out as to why I will now be acknowledging Métis territory as a separate entity from Treaty territory. They are different (not one above the other, but equally important and deserving of acknowledgement) and here are a few initial reasons as to why:
In order to make a claim for Aboriginal title, an Aboriginal group must satisfy the following criteria: (i) the land must have been occupied prior to sovereignty, (ii) there must be a continuity between present and pre-sovereignty occupation, and (iii) at the time of sovereignty, that occupation must have been exclusive. You may be asking, how can Métis have Aboriginal title, aren't they are result of the fur trade? Well they are but the fur trade began a hundred years before Canada became a sovereign nation (which varies province to province). Canada is 150 years old, the Métis became a Nation about 200 years ago, and the fur trade began roughly 250 years ago. When Rupertsland was sold to become Canada, it was done so without either the Métis, First Nation or Inuit Nations' consent and without extinguishment of their Aboriginal title. If you'd like to learn more about intricacies of Métis land title click here. Why did I go on that tangent? It's now my personal opinion that any land acknowledgment should be reflective of the unique and unceded territory of the Métis people. I am by no means an expert so if you disagree with my conclusion please feel free to correct me. To be fair, an act a day doesn't exactly allow for extensive research. Land Acknowledgements:
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8/28/2022 04:32:51 pm
I really enjoyed your blog posts thank you
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About me
I grew up in Athabasca, AB and have spent the majority of my life in Northern Alberta or Montreal, PQ. My husband has been in Fort McMurray since the 70s and continues to love this town and all that it has to offer. We are avid outdoor enthusiasts, spending our summer weekends quadding and camping. As Opimian members we thoroughly enjoy wine pairings and tastings and are working on our wine collection. Ralph is a carpenter by trade and has framed more houses in Fort McMurray than I could count and knows the city inside and out. I work all throughout the region from the NWT to Janvier for the tribal council. My passion is doodling and photography which is featured throughout the website (various mediums), writing, Indigenous studies, and learning in general. Categories |